


Omens of the Night

by Destiny_in_the_Stars



Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Murder Mystery, Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-06-24 16:36:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15634551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Destiny_in_the_Stars/pseuds/Destiny_in_the_Stars
Summary: A dinner party at a mansion turns up being a murderous game of cat and mouse. With classic hints and mystery, will the gang be able to understand what is going on before it’s too late?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if this is short. Miguel is in his twenties in this for the purpose of the story and is actually Hector’s brother to fit the story

‘Dear Guest… 

 

You have been cordially invited to attend a weekend dinner party at the mansion. Formal attire is required for the dinner and you are expected by limousine at 7:00 pm. All guests will receive more information at the arrival of the mansion. 

 

Signed,

 

-A.’ 

 

Receiving the letter, Hector Rivera frowned. Who was A? He had little idea what this meant. Had this something to do with his songwriting? Deciding he had nothing better to do, he sighed and accepted the invitation. It was a little strange, but he had to admit that he was curious. 

 

Entering his one-story home, Hector dropped off his guitar case on the floor, letting loose a soft sigh. He hadn’t had a very good week, especially since he had been avoiding Ernesto for a while. Their friendship has spiraled out of control since their fight. Hector had expressed extreme dislike when despite asking Ernesto not to use his songs, Ernesto had gone and used them anyways. 

 

Ernesto had seemed off, but Hector brushed it off and it had been at least two weeks since they’d last talked. 

 

Hector hummed softly to himself as he went to check his phone, noticing he had no new messages yet. Not even from Imelda. He liked her a lot, but hadn’t had the courage to ask her out yet. 

 

Pouring himself a cup of water, the man took a small swig, checking the calendar. He was a small town musician, now working as a part-time guitar teacher at the local high school. It was a decent pay and he hoped it would last for a while. 

 

Moving onto the half-shabby couch, Hector sat down with a soft sigh, tapping his fingers to the beat of a song. He laid back and closed his eyes, slowly falling asleep. 

 

When he awoke, it seemed to already be nightfall and Hector yawned, getting up to fix dinner. His mind travelled back to the letter, trying to wonder what it could mean. There was no evidence of who had sent it. 

 

He figured he’d find out when the weekend dinner, which was actually tomorrow now that he realized, and couldn’t help but wonder who else was going. Would it be anyone he knew? Or complete strangers? 

 

At the same time, Imelda, along with a few others, had all received the exact same invitations. No one really knew who had sent them, only that the owner lived in some mansion. It was all a rather interesting mystery, not that they had much to go by. 

 

Some many ways ahead, the dinner was being set. Oh, it would all be a grand event, and they had no idea what was coming. Not any idea at all. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All is not what it seems

Hector Rivera was waiting in front of his house for the limousine to arrive, dressed in a comfortable purple vest and the red necktie. He sighed, because for a moment he thought this was all just a mistake, when he suddenly noticed the long black car pull up. He clutched a suitcase in his left hand, filled with only the needed items for the weekend at the mansion. It was a little odd, of course, having to sleep somewhere he didn’t know, though he imagined it was just courtesy of the owner.    
  
His eyes widened in pure disbelief at the sight of Imelda herself, Imelda Belasco, inside. Hector smiled awkwardly at her, not knowing what else to say. The smile dropped suddenly at the sight of Ernesto, narrowing his eyes a bit. Hector didn’t breathe a word to Ernesto, instead focusing his full attention on Imelda. He had to wonder if his younger brother, Miguel, would attend this event or not. They didn’t live that far apart from each other, only about half an hour.    
  
“So... you got the invitation too, huh?” Hector asked Imelda, who he was totally not crushing on, with a half smile.    
  
“Yes, although I found it odd that there was no mention of who sent it. Other than the mansion.” Imelda replied with a small frown.    
  
Hector shrugged in response, having little idea as to why it had been made in that way.    
  
“Ay, well... I thought it might have something to do with my music,” the part-time teacher admitted sheepishly.    
  
“Then why bring all of us?” Imelda pressed the subject.    
  
“That’s a good question,” Hector answered. “Audience, I thought? I’m not sure.” He continued, because he truly had no idea how this was decided. Why choose all of them specifically.    
  
The limousine drove off again, this time picking up Emma Winslow, one of Imelda’s friends from her adulthood. When Imelda had grown up, she made a name of herself as a lawyer, moving to the coast of Maine once reaching 19 years old. She was only a ripe age of 24 now with Hector only a couple years older.    
  
Ernesto, Imelda, and Hector had actually all grown up together in the small town of Santa Cecilia, Mexico. Ernesto and Hector were rather close when they were younger since the famed musician, Ernesto, met the younger male through a quick save one day.    
  
Hector and his brother, Miguel, had both been  street kids, spending the majority of their time making money through odd jobs to support his family. He remembered it clearly when he’d almost been jumped near an alleyway, only Ernesto had shown up to rescue his life. They’d been best friends ever since... until now, it seemed. The memories were painful, but he kept them close because he knew that deep down he still had some level of care for Ernesto, no matter how small it was.    
  
The limousine pulled up to Miguel’s house, causing Hector to smile. Miguel didn’t currently have a full-time job either, but he made his ends meet by playing his guitar at the local park or his occasional work at a coffee shop or something like that.    
  
“So you decided to join the party too, hm?” Miguel teased Hector, only resulting in the older male’s blush. There was really a year difference between them, though when they’d got older Miguel expressed interest in getting his own place and Hector had let him. It wasn’t Hector’s place to decide what his younger sibling got to do with his life.    
  
“There’s one more stop,” the mysterious driver replied.    
  
Was it anyone they knew? Hector didn’t know Emma that well, but he had close connections to the others, even if one had started to fade. His confusion increased when they arrived in front of a house that looked like it had seen better days. The lawn was slightly unkempt and the music teacher could hear the sounds of an angry dog barking.    
  
“Who lives here?” Miguel voiced everyone’s thoughts.    
  
A man with a deep scowl on his face stepped out. He had dark hair and a pair of cold gray eyes, glaring sharply at nearly everyone in the group. He wore an equally dark suit, a light gray tie fixed beneath a dress shirt.    
  
“And you are?” Imelda asked, raising an eyebrow.    
  
“Cyrus,” the man hissed.   
  
Hector subconsciously moved his hand protectively towards Imelda and immediately blushed when he realized he’d placed it on her lap.    
  
Cyrus didn’t say any other words, deciding instead to glare even harder out the window.   
  
The rest of the ride went on in silence and by the time they reached the mansion, nearly two hours later, it was almost nightfall. Hector fidgeted, because he felt the slightest bit uneasy, but he brushed it off at the fact he hardly ever left his house when he wasn’t working or performing at the plaza. He was well-liked, considering he had a lot of charisma and genuinely a good person, but he had always been a bit socially awkward.    
  
The mansion in itself was grand. It wasn’t new, exactly, though it wasn’t really old either. Part of a well-dressed lawn, filled with lots of fresh grass, could be seen up front. In the back, everyone would be able to see what was a forest, that extended several acres worth. A large black gate blocked the actual mansion, yet it ended up swinging open, almost ominously, when the limousine pulled by. Oddly enough, there were also no cars in what was most likely the garage or at least where guests pulled in.    
  
Were they the only ones there? Miguel thought it was an interesting question. Or maybe there was an inside garage they couldn’t see. No one spoke while the limousine went past the gates and came to a full stop in front of the mansion.    
  
“Let’s go then,” spoke Hector, forcing down the nervousness building up inside him. This wasn’t anything strange, just a little dinner.    
  
Right?   
  
Entering the mansion also left everyone stunned. There had to be several stories worth of rooms, at least two or three, possibly even somewhere else too. The kitchen wasn’t in plain sight, but to the group’s right was an obvious grand dining room.    
  
It had a large fancy table, filled with various foods from vegetables to fruits, even meats and countless cheeses, all of which looked extremely thought out. Glasses of wine also sat at each of the placemats. A notecard was laid in the middle of the table which read ‘feel free to take as you wish.’   
  
Uneasiness and Hector’s selfless need to be a gentleman prevented him from taking anything, even as he sat down, the others following close behind. Cyrus kept picking at his food and Miguel glanced at Hector as if asking ‘what do I do?’    
  
Emma sighed as she slowly picked up her wine glass, not yet taking a sip because she didn’t know what to do.    
  
Of course, Ernesto was already making a name of himself by gathering food.    
  
Imelda didn’t touch anything, aside from grasping her fork. She sighed softly, a frown falling on her face.    
  
Before anyone had the chance to react, the lights started flickering, startling the group.   
  
“Is that supposed to-“ Hector yelped, because the constant movement of the lights was beginning to make him nervous. He jumped when out of nowhere, the room was plunged in darkness.    
  
“What’s going on?!” Miguel shouted.    
  
“Will you all shut up?” Cyrus’ voice hissed clearly.    
  
“Imelda, are you okay? Imelda, answer me!” Hector called again, trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness. Suddenly, he gasped when the lights flickered on again.    
  
“Everyone calm down. I’ve got this,” Ernesto grinned, but the arrogance died short at the sight that bestowed everyone on the table.    
  
There, lying dead, was Emma. She didn’t move, not even when Hector hesitantly called her name. No answer.    
  
“What happ-“ Miguel froze, eyes widened in disbelief.    
  
Where Emma once sat was her wine glass, turned on its side, the liquid slowly trickling down onto the carpet.    
  
“Poisoned?” Miguel frowned.    
  
“Wait! Where’s Imelda?” Hector hissed out of fear, noticing the second thing off about the room.    
  
Imelda was nowhere in sight.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What lies ahead

“This is bad! This is very, very bad!” Miguel was obviously nervous, pacing back and forth while the others tried to make sense of what was happening.

 

“Someone is dead…” Hector muttered.

 

“Okay, okay- let’s just… try and-“ Miguel stopped. “Hector, we should find a way out of here and get Imelda.”

 

“Right, y-yes, of c-course,” Hector stuttered. He didn’t like this one bit and the idea someone else could get killed wasn’t sitting well in his mind. The part-time teacher sighed, beginning to follow after his brother.

 

Ernesto had been oddly silent since Emma’s death, not even making an attempt at being the hero. He followed behind the group, his hands clenched like he was angry.

 

The only who didn’t care about anything was Cyrus. He snarled and had no choice but to go with everyone else if he wanted to escape.

 

Miguel kept going down the hallway when he heard the sounds of a storm rolling. The lightning and thunder clashed against the other, the rain slowly starting to fall. He glanced outside, only to notice the sudden silhouette that could be seen. The young musician jumped back in sudden alarm, eyes widened, because it was hard to tell what it was. Human? Wolf? A trick of his imagination?

 

“Did you s-see th-that?!” Hector yelped.

 

“Of course, we all saw that,” Ernesto rolled his eyes.

 

Resisting the urge to reply with a snarky comment, Hector stalked behind Miguel. There was nothing to suggest anyone else was in the house and the more he thought of it, the more he grew worried for Imelda. She had to be alive… there hadn’t been a trace of blood anywhere.

 

But Emma had been poisoned. What did that mean for Imelda?

 

Suddenly, Miguel stopped because he noticed how one room was slightly ajar and he pushed it open with his foot, peering inside carefully. He curiously tilted his head, since sitting on a nightstand was a music box.

 

“Miguel, I wouldn’t touch-“ Hector groaned, seeing that Miguel had actually gone and touched the music box. He jumped suddenly as a creak escaped the object and a note fell out.

 

Miguel picked it up in his hands, reading the note out loud.

 

“I scream out loud at skies above that answers mute bereft in love,” he spoke.

 

“What does that even mean?” Hector frowned.

 

“Obviously, nothing, but instead of worrying about stupid sayings… we should be worrying about trying to escape.” Ernesto hissed.

 

“That is exactly what we’re trying to do! It could be crucial to our escape!” Hector snapped back.

 

“Stop it!” Miguel growled at the both of them. “You can argue later, but right now we need to get out of here.”

 

Without another word, Ernesto stalked off, suddenly determined on solving this by himself. He had been acting a little strange ever since Emma had died, which was simply brushed off as shock or confusion.

 

“Let’s just go and try to find Imelda,” Hector managed to say, biting the back the urge of sounding like a jerk.

 

Miguel pocketed the note before resuming his search. He didn’t like this much either, but it was all they had to go by. Had that the note been left behind by the host or was there some purpose to it?

 

Meanwhile Imelda groaned softly as she had somehow been knocked unconscious when the lights had been oddly turned off. She gasped, because she couldn’t see anything. Where was she?

 

She carefully moved to stand, mindful of the fact that it was dark.

 

“Hello…?” Imelda called out.

 

There wasn’t much to go by, from the little she could see, but she didn’t feel like giving up. Imelda took a few steps hard, one hand out in front of her to test if there was anything.

 

“Alguien?” She tried again.

 

Nothing.

 

“Hector! Miguel!” Imelda shouted, but there was no answer. She growled softly.

 

She had to get out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hector and Miguel are now on the search of what the clues mean while Cyrus and Ernesto are trying not to succumb to the rules of the mansion
> 
> Tick, tock... the time has come and the game has nearly just begun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I will be trying to upload this weekend, once I've taken care of class assignments

Hector released a shaky sigh as he headed down one of the hallways, one hand gripping his shirt tightly. His teeth were clenched and he was full alert, glancing quickly to his sides, hoping they wouldn’t run into anything else. The part-time teacher felt a sudden nausea creeping at him, tensing up when he followed after Miguel and Cyrus. He trusted his brother, but he didn’t want to see another dead body. 

 

As of now, they’d been unable to Imelda, even though they were still on the first floor. Miguel had insisted on checking each and every room in the chance they would find another clue about what was going. Hector felt goosebumps trail down his skin, brown eyes shifting down the darkened hallway, pausing to look briefly at a room with a beige-brown door. He clenched his fist tighter, his heart racing because he had no idea what would be on the other side. 

 

He had not expected to be suddenly be a witness in the death of Emma and even then, he hadn’t seen who had killed her. The question was… who had been responsible. It wasn’t as if there were any good suspects, barely able to consider Imelda or even Ernesto trying to kill anyone. The only one he guessed it might be was Cyrus because the man terrified him. Cyrus had been vicious with everyone from the moment they were introduced. 

 

“Don’t expect me to help,” Cyrus hissed, arms crossed as he stood outside of the room. He wasn’t about to involve himself in something that seemed like a wild goose chase. 

 

The room inside was dusty and just seemed out of place, compared to the first they’d encountered which seemed fairly new. There was a closet that had the doors painted brown along with a medium-sized bed, containing dark brown sheets, another nightstand, and a small box. 

 

Miguel’s instincts kept screaming at him to turn around and leave, but his need to understand was going on caused him to check the box. He opened it, noticing the key placed inside. There was no note attached to it, not like in the other room. 

 

“A key?” Hector muttered. “But to where does it lead…?” He added beneath his breath. 

 

“Why can’t we just get out without some stupid clue?” Cyrus hissed. “Come on! This is pointless,” he growled before just walking away. 

 

Miguel sighed in frustration, trailing behind Hector, having no choice but to follow. The last thing they needed was to get separated again, especially now that Imelda was missing and the situation was getting weirder. 

 

“What about Ernesto? We should try and find him,” Miguel whispered to Hector. For a moment, his older brother didn’t answer, as if the idea was too much before finally receiving a nod. 

 

“I- yes, of course. No one gets left behind. Not even him.” Hector answered back, his voice a soft mumble, though his expression suggested he was a bit upset by the mere mention of Ernesto’s name. What his former best friend did still stung, but Hector refused to let that one thing get in the way of the group escaping. 

 

“I… why don’t we try and cover more ground? We could try upstairs?” Miguel suggested awkwardly. He didn’t really feel like talking to Cyrus, sensing there was something off about the way the gray-eyed man behaved. 

 

“Do you think they’ll be there?” Hector asked, sounding the slightest bit hopeful.

 

“Maybe. It’s worth trying,” Miguel admitted. He knew that Imelda especially meant a lot to Hector. He knew that there was a chance Hector was actually attracted to the only living female in the group. 

 

Emma’s death had taken its toll on everyone, but the worst reaction came from Ernesto. Whatever caused it wasn’t really explained and no one tried to figure out the information, unless you happened to be a really curious Rivera. Miguel had found it odd, as had Hector, though with Ernesto having disappeared somewhere else there was no way to gain any more knowledge. 

 

That being said… Ernesto wouldn’t willingly give up what he knew. He was one for reputation and losing it due to his affiliations simply ended would not do. He refused to appear as weak nor as the failure. Part of the reason he became a musician was to gain fame, to earn respect even if it wasn’t real. 

 

That didn’t stop Miguel. He was already fueled with learning the truth, even if it killed him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are highly appreciated as are kudos so please don't forget to leave one


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The riddles continue and nothing is entirely as it seems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, everyone! I caught up with college and my homework, but I am back now.

Imelda stumbled back, trying to figure out where she was. She had only managed to make contact with the wall, which hadn’t really helped her situation. The lawyer sighed, only to end up staggering over something, landing hard on the ground, her hand coming into contact with a sticky substance. Imelda frowned and lifted her palm up, only to yelp in surprise. 

 

Her fingers were coated in blood. What was going on? 

 

Her eyes narrowed, swallowing back the bile threatening to rise up her throat. She had blood on her hands, literally, and it made her feel uncomfortable. What had been a simple dinner at a mansion became a game of cat and mouse. She had no idea where Hector was, but judging by the fact she’d yet to hear a scream or something cuss word meant neither he nor Ernesto were here. 

 

Glancing around, she decided to keep searching, secretly hoping Hector was okay. 

 

At the same time, Miguel was trying to decipher the clues behind the strip of paper he’d found in the other room. 

 

_ I scream out loud at skies above that answers mute bereft in love.  _

 

It didn’t make a lot of sense, now did it? Miguel wondered if it had anything to do with the host. Had someone they loved died and so he lured people into this very mansion in hopes of making them suffer like they had? Then where was the host? 

 

“Miguel, come on. Don’t fall behind,” Hector called, but even then… his voice was subdued. It was clear he had been affected by everything. Between Emma’s death and the disappearance of Imelda, plus the fact that they had no current means of escaping, he was getting agitated. 

 

“I won’t. We still have a chance of getting out, you know,” Miguel tried to sound reassuring. He was trying very hard to keep his hopes up. Maybe one of the clues they had received would take them to their escape from this place. 

 

“I hope you’re right.” Hector sighed. 

 

“Instead of wasting your time talking, you should be focused on getting us out!” Cyrus snapped angrily. He was getting fed up with this nonsense, let alone the fact he had to deal with being trapped in a mansion. The man had no idea why he was putting up with those two. 

 

“We’re trying, but we don’t have much to go on.” Miguel cut in, trying to keep his tone calm. 

 

Cyrus growled and kept to maintaining distance from the others. It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. He was far too impatient and the two brothers he was forced to interact with simply got on his nerves. 

 

Hector’s eyes narrowed at Cyrus. He didn’t trust the man much, having an off feeling that there was something which wasn’t being said. Hector was growing paranoid, wringing his hands nervously. 

 

“Do you want to just head off on your own then?” Miguel snarked at Cyrus. 

 

“Miguel!” Hector hissed, getting annoyed. 

 

“No, I suppose I should go on my own. Anything to get away from you two,” Cyrus sneered as he stalked off, disappearing from sight. 

 

“Miguel, we don’t need anymore people disappearing. You shouldn’t have said anything,” Hector scowled. 

 

Miguel looked sheepish, awkwardly rubbing the back of his arm. He had been trying to intimidate Cyrus because the older male was clearly hiding something. Whatever it was, Cyrus rubbed off on everyone the wrong way. 

 

“We’re going to find her. No te preocupes,” Miguel sighed. He eventually paused, deciding to impulsively check one of the rooms. 

 

“Miguel, don’t.” Hector whispered a bit harshly. He groaned and went after his younger brother, but frowned when he realized the door was locked. “Let’s go. It’s locked anyways.” 

 

Miguel pulled out a key he’d found in one of the rooms and slowly unlocked the door, ignoring Hector’s protests that this was a bad idea. He had to uncover the truth. The sooner they did, the sooner they could get out. 

 

“Look,” Miguel frowned. There was a guitar case propped up against the wall, making the younger man incline his head in confusion. He carefully made his way over to it, seeing the note tied to the handle. 

 

“Miguel, would you-” Hector was giving up on trying to convince Miguel to stay out of trouble. 

 

The note read “Follow the strings and some past shall expose, but beware what lies ahead.” 

 

“Another riddle?” Hector sighed. 

 

“Maybe it’ll he-” Miguel froze when out of nowhere the sounds of someone playing an instrument rang out in the air. Piano keys, a somber and eerie noise, were creating a song, but the question remained. 

 

Who was playing? 


End file.
